Herpes zoster in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis.
Twenty-two patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM-DM) were retrospectively studied with regard to development of herpes zoster. Herpes zoster occurred with high frequency in patients with PM-DM. The clinical courses of zoster infections were uneventful; no severe complications nor deaths occurred, and only one patient had post-therapeutic neuralgia. No specific therapy for this infection was necessary. Zoster tended to occur in the inactive stage of PM-DM. PM-DM patients with herpes zoster had a significantly higher incidence of antinuclear antibody. There seemed to be no relationship between steroid therapy and herpes zoster infection.
Nagaoka
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Yokohama City University, School of Medicine.
Tani
K
K
Ishigatsubo
Y
Y
Chiba
J
J
Kato
K
K
Matsunaga
K
K
Narita
M
M
Igarashi
T
T
Okubo
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009220:Myositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004247:DNA; D011239:Prednisolone